Bottle drying apparatus



y 9, 1940- o. c. PATTERSON 2,207,331

BOTTLE DRYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1939 2 SheetsSheet 1 Z k SJ. 6 v

/6 A /7 4%- LL 4 i Inventor 77 0. ci afiemv A iiomeys y 9, 1940- o. c.PATYTERSON 2,207,331

BOTTLE DRYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 0.6P4 #6 Asa/7 A itomeys Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE3 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for drying bottles of softdrinks and other beverages which have been cooled by placing the samedirectly on ice and has for its primary object to provide anelectrically operated fan positioned so as to blow a draft of airagainst the bottles for removing the moisture therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch device for theelectric motor of the fan adapted for closing the circuit leading to themotor by the weight of the bottles placed on the switch.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable inperformance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar View taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the support for the switch takensubstantially on the line 44 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the switch.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the inventionthe numeral 5 designates a hood open at its bottom and within which theneck of the bottle 6 is adapted for insertion in spaced relation fromthe walls of the hood, the upper end of the hood being likewise open andhaving a plurality of supports I rising therefrom for supporting anelectric motor 8 above the hood. The shaft of the motor is disposedvertically and on the lower end of the shaft is the fan blade 9 which ispositioned in the region of the open top of the hood for blowing airdownwardly over the surface of the bottle.

J is circuit wires connected to the motor are indicated at l8 and extenddownwardly through vertical tubular support or pipe H, to which '16 hoodis secured, the lower end of the support extending horizontally inwardlythrough the 55 walls of a funnel 13, the support being secured to saidfunnel. The inner end of the support terminates in an upright extension[4 and to which is secured an external rubber or insulation ring I5 andthrough which the circuit wires I0 extend and terminate in contacts [6disposed on top of the ring.

Slidably mounted on the ring I5 is a rubber or other insulation cap 11,to the under side of which is secured an annular contact member l8adapted to bridge the pair of contacts l6. To the inside of theupstanding extension I4 is secured a disk l9 through which a stem 20 isslidably supported, the upper end of the stem being secured to the underside of the cap I! and mounted on the stem is an expansible coil spring2| to yieldably urge the cap upwardly with the contacts out ofengagement.

The top of the cap is flat and thus forms a support for the bottle 6which, when placed on the cap closes the circuit between the contacts l8and I6 and thus energizes the motor 8. Obviously the motor is connectedto a suitable source of power.

Within the funnel I3 is fitted a screen 22 and the moisture removed fromthe bottle by the fan may be drained through the funnel into anysuitable receptacle or other drainage system.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the moisture which clings tothe bottle 6 when the same is removed from an ice box will be blown bythe bottle upon the energization of the motor 8 and the moisture willdrain into the funnel [3 for suitable disposal.

It is believed that the details of construction and manner of use of thedevice will be readily understood from the foregoing without furtherdetailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a bottle drying apparatus, a hood adapted for receiving the neckof the bottle, said hood having converging walls at its bottle receivingend, an electrically operated blower positioned at the other end of thehood for directing air against the bottle, and a switch adjacent thehood and having a circuit connection with the blower and operablethrough the medium of a bottle placed upon the switch to close the same,the space between the hood and the switch being bridged by the bottlewhen positioned on the switch.

2. A bottle drier comprising in combination, a hood adapted to receiveone end of a bottle, an electrically operated blower in the hood forblowing air against the bottle, a receptacle in the path of the air forreceiving moisture blown from the bottle and a switch for the blowerpositioned in the receptacle and adapted for circuit closing movementthrough the medium of a bottle engaging the switch.

3. A bottle drier comprising an upstanding sup port, a hood secured tothe upper end of the support, an electric fan mounted in the top of thehood for blowing air downwardly through the hood, a funnel secured tothe lower portion of the support, an upstanding extension on the lowerend of the support and positioned in the funnel, and a switch mounted onsaid extension having circuit connection with the fan, said switch being5 arranged for circuit closing movement by the weight of a bottle placedthereon.

OSCAR C. PATTERSON.

